AN:

This whole fic is based on one, simple prompt. 190K and 27 chapters later, we FINALLY get to the bit that has anything at all to do with said prompt. Wonder what that was? Have a read and take a guess!

This is not the final chapter yet. I hoped to finish this story by the end of the year and I failed. There's one more chapter to go But it won't come out before January. So I'll take this chance to wish you all a happy and safe new year! Take care of yourselves, each other, and keep reading AWH! Thank you all so much and happy reading!

xoxo MLE
(=^_^=)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Should I be concerned?" Galinda asked as she ran the fine-toothed comb through Elphaba's long, straight hair for what must have been the thousandth time.

It was a task that demanded a lot of patience but surprisingly, that didn't seem to deter her in the least. Elphaba could barely remember how often she'd asked to ensure that it wasn't a bother. She herself found the routine far more tedious than her daily cleansing and couldn't possibly fathom what pleasure her girlfriend derived from it. But somehow, she kept on insisting that she loved working on her hair and eventually, Elphaba had given up fussing.

"Why?" Elphaba wondered in return, moving her head slightly in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her.

Galinda continued her labour of love with long, gentle strokes.

"Because you're going to such lengths, even washing your hair for him."

Elphaba gave a loud, dry laugh.

"Don't be silly! Do you really think that?" She felt Galinda shift behind her. "I'm cleaning my hair because it's been long overdue. If I could have been stuffed, I would have fixed it a week ago."

"Well, then another day wouldn't have made any difference whatsoever."

A crooked smile on her lips, Elphaba reached behind her to feel how much progress they'd made in the last half hour or so. Her hair still was far from dry.

"You really don't want me to meet him, do you?" she said.

Galinda clicked her tongue and made no reply.

"You shouldn't be so worried, my sweet. I don't want anything from him. Except a smidgen of closure if I can achieve at least that much. But I certainly don't want to invite him into my life. Our life."

"You can't want him in your life anyway," Galinda suddenly declared with a vehemency that startled them both.

Elphaba whirled about in her seat, and the black strands slid out of the shorter girl's hands. At her questioning look, Galinda answered, "Well, he's the prince of the Arjiki, and you're the next Eminent Thropp. This child—they shouldn't exist. Their parentage needs to remain a secret."

"We don't actually know yet—"

"It doesn't matter, does it? An illegitimate child born to two individuals of such powerful families could send local politics haywire. In the olden days, they would have forced you both to wed for sure! Though I don't exactly know how that would work in light of Fiyero's pre-existing marriage."

"I hear you," sighed Elphaba. "And rest assured, I will not stay in contact with him. I'm not going to tell anyone else about the baby's father either. This is going to be our secret."

Nodding thoughtfully, Galinda motioned for her to turn back around, so she could pick up her work where she'd dropped it.

"And? When the child is old enough to ask such questions," Galinda continued after a few minutes of silence, "what are you gonna tell them?"

Pursing her lips, Elphaba tried to imagine such a scene in her head, but it seemed impossible. Luckily, she'd rehearsed her answer many times before.

"That mum and mummy love them so very much. And that not every child has a father."

She could hear Galinda chuckle.

"I should have known that you would have thought this all out already. It's a good answer."

"You think?" she asked, twisting her fingers together, a puzzle of green sticks. "I don't think there is any one right answer. But I settled on this one a long time ago."

"And what about later? When they no longer accept that explanation?"

"The truth," replied Elphaba immediately.

"Well, you would never have lied in the first place," pointed out Galinda, but Elphaba worried her lip.

"Hopefully not."

She lowered her head, and Galinda dropped her hair again. She didn't notice her girlfriend abandoning her seat, until she found her crouching before her, reaching up to frame her face with her soft, greasy hands.

"You have plenty of love to give, Elphie. You love Malky, you love me. In your own way, you will love this child, I'm convinced of that. I don't know. I suppose your concerns are not entirely unfounded if they're so persistent. Perhaps you might not always be able to show your love the way you think you should. But they will learn to understand. All you need to do is try and do your best."

The smile she wanted to offer Galinda didn't come easily, but she did her best and managed something akin to what she'd had in mind. Her girlfriend returned the gesture with an infectious warmth that Elphaba couldn't describe. It reassured her and made her feel a tad more confident.

"And I'll be right here," Galinda added, as if she'd read her mind, and Elphaba's lips curved into a genuine smile, all on their own.

"Elphie?"

"Hm?"

"I don't want to overwhelm or upset you, but we still have to figure out what to do with my parents."

The smile turned into an irritated gasp.

"Elphie. Don't do this. Don't work yourself up like this. It's not as much of a big deal as you think. I promise."

"How can you possibly promise?" scoffed Elphaba.

"Because they are my parents. They are not like your father. Or your sister. It will come as a bit of a shock, of course, but they'll get over it. I do, however, believe that they'd appreciate it if we told them before junior's arrival. Trust me on this."

She blew air through her nostrils and played stubborn for a while longer. Eventually, she caved and met Galinda's eyes.

"So? What do you reckon we should do?

"We should call them."

"Fine. Friday night then."

"Oh no," laughed Galinda, pressing a quick peck to the corner of her mouth, Elphaba's cheeks heating up furiously in response. "We'll video call them straight away."

"Straight away?" repeated Elphaba stupidly. "As in now?"

"No time like the present, right? Strike the iron while it's hot. Seriously, if we wait as little as one more day, we risk blowing our chance!"

"I'm thirty-seven weeks—"

"And two days," added Galinda cheerfully. "I know. Plenty of babies are born well ahead of their due dates. And you're not going to make it to forty weeks—Vittolea said so."

"Nothing but an educated guess," Elphaba maintained. "And since when are you taking stock in anything that woman says?"

"Since, and only because, we agree in this one, particular case."

"Well, too bad. I'm not decent. My hair is a mess."

"I'll braid it for you and wrap it like a wreath around your head." Galinda shrugged. "It will look cute and your clothes will be safe, so you can change into something clean."

A few more backtalk attempts later, Elphaba was out of ideas. Galinda was nothing if not persistent, and for a brief moment of desperation, giving in seemed like the less harrowing option. They proceeded according to the blonde's plan, and no more than half an hour later, they both sat in front of Galinda's rose gold laptop's screen.

"Relax, Elphie," Galinda whispered, nudging her with her shoulder. "You'll be fine."

Elphaba didn't feel fine. Her shoulders ached from her stiff, tense posture. Her back had started to follow suit. There were few instances when she'd felt more on edge.

Galinda's parents, having been forewarned by their daughter via text, accepted the call promptly, and there they were! Elphaba drew a long breath, but didn't immediately exhale it. It caught in her throat.

Highmuster and Larena's smiles were taut and could not adequately hide their apprehension. They, too, were bracing themselves for the worst.

"Hello, girls," chirped the older woman in a pitch that did not sound entirely normal. "What a treat to see you! And so unexpectedly."

Fidgeting uncomfortably in her seat, Elphaba ventured a side glance at Galinda. The blonde for her part didn't look nervous at all. She was radiant.

"Mumsie! Popsicle! How are things over there?"

"Oh, old same, old same."

Highmuster cleared his throat and scratched his bearded chin.

Maybe realising that there was no point in keeping up the smalltalk, even Galinda seemed to falter, looking at Elphaba and grinning strangely.

"This was your idea, not mine," muttered Elphaba under her breath.

Galinda's grin widened to make up for the awkwardness. Far below the area that was visible on camera, she gave Elphaba's crossed feet a little kick.

"Yes, very well," she sighed, primly resting her folded hands in her lap. "Listen, Elphie and I have very important news to share with you."

"Getting married already?" teased Highmuster.

Larena elbowed him for that.

"You never know. Don't steal their thunder," she hissed, making Galinda giggle.

"Elphie?" she said, fluttering her eyelashes. "Will you or shall I?"

"They're your parents," the green girl mumbled, demonstrating her unwillingness. Galinda obliged eagerly.

"Mumsie. Popsicle. You'll be grandparents soon," she declared without flinching, then clapped in excitement and turned to give Elphaba her most brilliant smile yet.

Her girlfriend's enthusiasm, her own anxiety, the parents' keen eyes focused on them—it all made Elphaba feel dizzy. Her head spun, until Galinda leaned in to place a lingering kiss on her cheek.

"Don't worry, Elphie, I love you," she whispered urgently, and took hold of her hand to give it a little squeeze.

Her face hot and probably more mauve than green, Elphaba dared to turn and look at the screen.

Larena and Highmuster exchanged a few flustered glances before Galinda's mother finally geared up to speak.

"That's wonderful news, my angel." Elphaba supposed she sounded genuine enough. "But why did you deny the truth back when we first suspected that that may be the case? Have you really grown so distant from us?"

"Larena." It was Highmuster's turn to question her communication skills.

"Oh." Galinda blushed and grinned bashfully. "Whyever do you think that it's me who's boasting the big bump?" Jumping to her feet, she showed off her flat stomach. "I did not lie to you at all," she continued, resuming her seat on the couch. "It's Elphie who's carrying the burden and the honour. And I couldn't be more proud and in love."

Elphaba was mortified, but Galinda gave her no chance to think about that too thoroughly. She scooted as close as she possibly could and clung flush to her arm, resting her head against her shoulder.

Breathe, Elphaba reminded herself, and she inhaled deeply. She cast worried glances back and forth between the laptop and the girl that was firmly attached to her right side. She didn't take the time to properly examine Larena and Highmuster's reactions—were they smiling? It didn't really matter; Galinda was all that mattered and her joy couldn't possibly leave her cold.

At last her reticence melted. It began with a twitching of her lips that soon turned into a shy but fond smile as she continued to look deep into her beautiful, sparkling eyes. She freed her arm so she could wrap it around Galinda's shoulders. Not quite managing a kiss in front of her parents, she nuzzled her hair instead and briefly closed her eyes. Gathering courage, gathering herself.

"Well, what a surprise," Highmuster finally said, and Elphaba reluctantly, returned her attention to the screen.

"A surprise of the best kind," Galinda assured them, obviously determined to make her feelings on the subject crystal clear. "We couldn't be happier."

With every word she said, with every smile and every bright look she gave her parents, it became more and more apparent to Elphaba how she'd been able to predict their acceptance so confidently. Galinda had them wrapped around her little finger. She was the one in charge and wouldn't take any form of rejection for an answer. She was the ultimate spoilt only child. At least in this case, she used her power for a good cause, which was something Elphaba could get behind—she rather avoided thinking of those countless other times, when she'd probably wheedled her family into buying her a pony or what have you.

"And we are happy for you!" said Larena before turning to Elphaba. "How does it feel?"

"Frustrating. I keep bumping into things and Galinda treats me like an invalid."

"Not true!" Galinda chimed in, lightly smacking her with a couch cushion.

They all laughed. Elphaba could't believe that she'd really just cracked such a silly joke.

"And how long until those struggles come to an end?" the older woman enquired cleverly.

"A few more weeks probably," supplied Elphaba agitatedly.

"Or maybe only a few days," tossed in Galinda.

"Oh. Well. Not a Lurlinemas child then?"

Elphaba expected that this was Larena's not so subtle way to express her misgivings over not having been informed earlier, just like Galinda had predicted.

"I mean, I can try," she said, wiggling her eyebrows at her girlfriend.

"Yes. Hilarious."

Now that everyone had eased into the inevitable reality of the situation, the conversation changed into one about parental support and well-meant advise. Some of it, Elphaba accepted graciously or even gratefully, while other nuggets of wisdom made her squirm in discomfort and horror. Galinda curbed her mother's enthusiasm where she could, but it was a sheer impossible task to shut her up completely.

It was terribly late when they finished the conversation. Relived albeit rather exhausted, Elphaba fell backwards against the backrest of the couch.

"Your hair!" yelped Galinda, and she jumped back up.

"You see? Now we can't even go to sleep yet because my hair isn't done! I hope you're happy!"

"I am, Elphie," Galinda beamed before embracing and kissing her.

"So you've said several times tonight. I hope you won't regret it all in a few months' time."

"I could never. And now let's get to work. We'll finish your haircare in a jiffy."

Elphaba woke after no more than a few hours of napping, as she was used to these days. Her back was killing her, and she still blamed their video call for that. Just then, a new bout of contractions was getting in on the fun, alongside some delicious nausea. She didn't know for how much longer she could deal with such tiring interruptions to her already scarce sleeping time.

If she'd learnt one thing over the past couple of weeks, it was to complain less and be more proactive about her aches and pains. So, she didn't wait long before rolling out of bed with the elegance and grace of an elephant, her feet hitting the ground with a resounding thud. Rubbing her hard belly, she took deliberate breaths in and out. She cast a fleeting glance in Galinda's direction and the corners of her lips quirked. It didn't bother her that her girlfriend remained vastly oblivious to her nightly struggles. It was better that way.

As she headed downstairs, she went through her battle plan in her head: hot water bottle for the back pain, a mug of fennel tea for the nausea and general tension. Some pacing would help with the contractions which were becoming less pleasant every day now. Oh, how she missed those harmless beginnings, when she'd hardly felt them at all.

As she walked past, Malky hopped from the seat of the couch where he'd been grooming himself onto the backrest. Chirping in greeting, he hoped for a pat, but Elphaba's hands flew to her belly instead when a particularly fierce contraction hit her.

"Oh come on," she growled at her unborn child. "This is getting a bit much, don't you think?"

The discomfort eased eventually, and she sat down, breathing a sigh of relief. Reaching out for Malky, she made up for ignoring him earlier.

While she felt marginally better already, the prospect of going back to bed didn't quite appeal. She felt rather awake, and the thought of lying down made her groan in anticipation. She poured herself more tea, hoping it might aid in soothing her to sleep, then picked up the next best book from a pile on the cabinet next to the corridor. Half a chapter in, the pain returned.

"No rest for the wicked," she grunted.

The sensation intensified, especially in her lower back, and she found herself resting her arms and head on the table before her. Okay. She either needed to brace herself for a few more very strenuous nights, or the big day was already upon her. Neither option was particularly attractive, so knowing that nature would run its course either way was almost comforting.

Remembering her midwife's instructions, she started timing her contractions after that to see if they increased in duration and frequency. Eight waves later, she studied the sheet that she'd torn out of her folder in order to take the notes and bit her lip in resignation. This was really happening. It was happening tonight, and even though she didn't feel prepared at all, there was nothing she could do about it.

Her thoughts veered towards Galinda who was still snoozing away upstairs, blissfully ignorant. There was no good reason to wake her yet. This was her first pregnancy, which generally meant that these things took their sweet time. In all likelihood, they wouldn't have to make their way to the hospital till mid-morning, maybe even later. The last thing she wanted was a grumpy birthing partner by her side. Ergo, letting her girlfriend rest as long as possible was by far the most prudent decision.

Speaking of rest; she should be getting a measure of that herself, and maybe some sustenance. But how? She could barely even sit comfortably, and the mere idea of food made her stomach turn. She tried to keep hydrated at the very least and forced herself to take small sips of hot cocoa for the energy it provided in the form of good, old sugar. It was better than nothing, she supposed.

She achieved some comfort, as well as unexpected repose when she took a shot at kneeling on the couch, hanging over the backrest, her head resting between her outstretched arms. Whenever the contractions hit, she found relief in swaying her hips; in between, she managed to nap in that same position.

Drifting in and out of consciousness for a while, she was astonished when she next peered up at the clock on the wall and realised that it was already five in the morning. Things really were progressing. She could tell as much, even after neglecting her notes for the past few hours. She tried to get up, but initially, she was so stiff from being stuck in this pose that every single joint in her lower body protested. The soft, unsteady cushioning of the couch didn't help.

"Freaking hell," she muttered, then gasped when the next contraction caught her off guard.

It wasn't any more painful than any of the others, but at the same time, incredibly intense. It was a sensation she couldn't describe. Had the previous ones built up to this? She couldn't say. For better or worse, she'd only noticed those in passing, acting out of instinct, with a tired mind and a surprisingly resilient body.

Once again, she rode out the surge with closed eyes and deep breaths. Distractedly, she scolded herself for not timing the contraction. It was of upmost importance now for her to find out whether she was close enough to the grand finale to justify alarming Galinda and Vittolea. A whimper escaped her lips and a particularly shaky release of breath. Her fingers dug into the smooth leather of the couch.

Fuck timekeeping.

She would wake Galinda as soon as she was able to, then call her midwife to discuss what to do next. She was by no means a delicate flower, but this was pretty full on. It was hard to imagine that the pain could get a lot worse without leading to a baby.

Feeling the contraction subside at last, Elphaba pushed herself into an upright position. She paused, breathing in and out, bracing herself for some pain and difficulty when finally turning around. Tentatively moving her first leg outwards, she winced just a little. It wasn't as bad as she'd expected. She went on to let one hand go and shift her weight. Her hip didn't like that manoeuvre much, but the resulting discomfort quickly faded into meaninglessness when she felt a slight trickle running down her legs.

"Sweet Oz, no."

She rubbed her tired face with her free hand and did her best to steady herself with the other. Shit. This wasn't going according to plan at all. What if she'd misjudged the situation? What if she was completely in over her head? The thought was overwhelming and paralysed her in place. What should she do? Shout out? Wiggle her way to the coffee table to grab her phone?

Raking her fingers through her hair, she hazily scanned the room. The ornamental throw caught her eye, and it was just within reach. She grabbed it, as if that were the solution to all of her problems, then sloppily folded it twice so it would fit in between her legs. She stared at the spot where it now lay, noticed with some odd sense of fascination the wet marks on her thighs. The skin there was irritated, but she barely felt the familiar burn. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to struggle out of her boxer briefs. Even if it wasn't showtime yet, the soaked garment against her sensitive skin was the last thing she needed right now.

She sank down onto her calves and took a moment to gather her resolve. A to-do-list manifested itself: grab a towel from the bathroom to wipe down her legs, grab the phone and call first Galinda, then Vittolea. Or was the other way around a better idea?

The problem solved itself when she heard the other girl's sleepy voice ringing from the top of the staircase.

Still mostly asleep, Galinda rolled across the sheets, stretching out one arm to grope and probe for the other person sharing the bed with her. Elphaba was not there, and the linen on her side was perfectly cool. How disappointing.

Cracking one eye open, she hoped to at least find her girlfriend in the same room. Was it that late already? According to her phone, it wasn't. Barely quarter past five, what an unholy time to be awake! Could she be stuffed finding Elphaba and dragging her back to bed? That was a fair question, and it took her a little while to consider it.

In the end, her curiosity won out. What was that silly green thing doing down there anyway? She better not have wandered off on her own again.

It took her even longer to actually leave the cosy bed behind and set out in earnest. She grabbed a thin shawl on the way and wrapped it around her shoulders, not even stifling her big yawn. As she padded out of the room, rubbing her eyes, she nearly missed the first step of the stairs—Elphie's fault, of course! She'd tell her off once she'd made sure that everything was alright with her.

Spotting the girl was easier than she would have guessed. Instead of busying herself in the kitchen or pacing the living room, she was on the couch, in direct line of sight from the staircase. Galinda made to rub the sleep out of her eyes and mumbled her name.

Elphaba didn't respond right away. Quite likely, she'd spoken too softly to be heard. Sighing to herself, Galinda descended a few more steps. That seemed easier than raising her voice.

"Elphie."

She blinked and squinted. Her girlfriend sat with her back half turned away. What was she doing? With her head bowed as it was, she almost looked like she'd she fallen back asleep in this awkward position.

"You okay Elphie?"

Another yawn.

The other girl's head ever so slightly swayed her way in acknowledgement.

"Grab me a towel, will you?" she said in a calm, but strange voice.

Galinda furrowed her brow at that and continued on her path to investigate.

"Are you okay? Are you—are you crying or something?" Stupid as it was, this was the first thought that came to her mind.

"My uterus apparently is," Elphaba bit back impatiently. "So just fetch that damn towel, okay?"

Even then, Galinda's brain required an embarrassingly long time to put one and one together. When realisation did strike at last, her mouth opened, and both of her hands flew up to cover it.

"Good Lurline! Elphie! Wha—what do you need? What can I do?"

"The towel. Please."

"Oh! Yes. The towel," sputtered the blonde and turned on her heel to run back upstairs.

She raced to the bathroom and ripped open the cabinet next to the shower.

"Towel, towel, towel" she prattled to herself while letting her hand glide over the stacks of thick terrycloth. "What towel? Hand towel? Bath towel? Crap."

Grabbing two of each kind and two facecloths just to be safe, she hurried downstairs.

"You… do re…alise that… the small… bath…room… is… a lot… clo…ser… right?" panted Elphaba in between deep breaths.

Her sudden change in demeanour frightened Galinda and stopped her in her tracks. But there was no time for delays. It was all hands on deck, and she really needed to pull her weight.

"Well, I ended up bringing the whole collection," she said as she reached the couch. "You can take your pick. Are—are you in labour?"

"No… I… I…"

She gave up then and squeezed her eyes shut. All Galinda could do was to gape, her heart leaping up into her mouth.

"Oh my gosh. What do I do? Should I call the midwife?"

Elphaba gave a nod, her face distorted in pain. Galinda tried not to overthink it and focused on the task she'd been given.

"Shit, my phone is on the—" She noticed Elphaba's mobile on the coffee table. "Hang on, I'll use yours."

The ringback tone sounded at least two dozen times, or so it felt in that moment of panic. Eventually, the answerphone jumped to life.

"Goodness gracious! What is she doing? Sleeping?"

Annoyed, Galinda released a long squeal.

"That… so sur…surprising… five in the… morning?" said Elphaba, out of breath, but just coherent enough.

"I'll try again and leave a message if necessary," decided Galinda. Elphaba's silence, she took for approval.

The second call was hardly any more successful than the first. After hanging up, Galinda felt tears shooting to her eyes, and she fanned herself with her hands in an effort to calm down.

"Deep breaths," Elphaba coached her, a crooked smirk on her lips.

"Right," huffed the blonde, even as she tried to follow her instructions, "you should not be the one telling me how to cope with your labour."

"Yet here we are."

"Contractions stopped?"

"Yeah. For now."

Galinda nodded and looked about.

"What else is there to do?"

"Not much, I think. Could you grab me a glass of water?"

Happy to be of any use at all and to feel a bit less helpless, Galinda fetched the drink within seconds. She aided her in keeping the glass steady, then placed it onto the coffee table.

"Oh, you silly goose. Why didn't you wake me earlier?"

"You know what they teach about how long labour can take. I woke up ages ago, but didn't expect much to happen."

"And now? How far do you reckon you got?"

"Seriously? Not a clue. But we must be getting closer."

"And Vittolea isn't even picking up!" whined Galinda, at the brink of her next panic attack. "What in Oz's name are we going to do? Call an ambulance?"

Elphaba seemed poised to reply, but her open mouth twisted, and she raised her hand.

"Ooh…" She made to turn back around, and with Galinda's help, managed to lean over the backrest. "This… feels… weird."

"Are you bearing down?" Galinda could feel all warmth drain from her face. "Goodness! You're bearing down, aren't you? Shit, shit! What do we do, what do we do?"

"Shut up," Elphaba ground out from between clenched teeth, and at her irate tone, Galinda's mouth snapped shut almost on its own accord.

Watching Elphaba tense and cling to the upholstery as if for dear life was all she could do. She wasn't sure whether touch would be welcome and was too afraid to ask while she was in the throes of her contractions.

Once her grip around the couch had lessened barely a notch, she cautiously reached out to cover her hand with her own and smiled encouragingly.

"I'm here. You'll be fine. She's gonna call any second now, right?"

"Any second," repeated Elphaba and snorted. Then, her expression changed again.

Emboldened by the little contact they had already established, Galinda leaned in to touch her forehead against Elphaba's. She felt very warm, but luckily wasn't sweating yet.

"You're doing great," she whispered and briefly lifted her head to kiss her temple.

The phone rang, and Galinda was almost annoyed, for she'd found genuine peace in the way they were huddled together, so incredibly close and intimate. But this wasn't about her comfort; this was about Elphaba's safety, and she had to act quickly.

"The baby is coming," she blurted out, dropping the usual greetings and introductions, not even checking for the caller's ID as she picked up.

"Oh." The voice on the other end of the line sounded considerably younger than she'd anticipated.

"Sehfeeya?" she asked, hoping she wasn't talking to Nessa or some other girl she didn't even know.

"Yes," the voice answered after a pause, and Galinda sighed in relief. "What exactly are we talking about?" The midwife enquired. "To what extend is the the baby 'coming'?"

"They're actually coming," Galinda stressed. "She's started to push."

"Oh dear. Alright then. Scrap the birthing centre. I'll come over asap."

Galinda's attempt to convey the message to Elphaba was rather futile. It appeared as if she was already far beyond the point of caring. She was in a world of her own, Galinda realised, mind set on the task at hand, and blending out everything that would disturb her process.

"You're awesome," Galinda whispered close to her ear, though she doubted that she was able to consciously hear her.

Barely a clock-tick later, Elphaba gasped, only to transition into a long moan. Her face was flushed and her gaze fixed on some undeterminable anchor somewhere in the direction of the kitchen. Her body pulled back and down. After that, the contractions seemed to subside again, but Elphaba remained hanging there like a sack of potatoes.

"Elphie?" Galinda tried and received a mirthless chuckle in reply.

"This feels like baby's coming out the totally wrong way," Elphaba croaked, hoarse and breathless.

Galinda's eyes widened. She neither could, nor wished to imagine a scenario like that. She didn't have the time to either. Before she knew it, Elphaba groaned again.

Not knowing what else to do, Galinda reverted to holding her hands like she had before but all the more tightly now.

"About half an hour ago I didn't think that this was a good thing, but I guess it is now: hold out, my love, you're almost there."

And she was.

"I can feel the head," were the next words that came out of Elphaba's mouth once she was able to speak at all.

"The… head." Galinda parroted, flummoxed.

Elphaba was breathing heavily but appeared to have relaxed a bit. Then, to Galinda's surprise and amazement, she laughed.

"Fuck, the wiggling is killing me."

"The wigg—"

She couldn't help it, she needed to have a look, see for herself what Elphaba was talking about. Hiking her oversized t-shirt up just a couple of inches and craning her neck, she was able to get a good glimpse.

"Oh my dear, sweet goodness, Oz! The head is out," she gasped.

"What did you think I meant?"

"I don't know!" squeaked Galinda softly. "What do I do?"

"Nothing yet. Simply wait. You said we have extra towels?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Hang in there then. Leave it up to the little one, okay?"

Galinda sniffled.

"Okay.

"Is it… is it okay if I hold you?"

"Hold me? Like how?"

Swallowing hard and casting one last glance at the baby, she pulled herself up and leaned against the backrest, similar to the way Elphaba was positioned. Propping herself up on one arm, she was still able to lightly rest the other atop Elphaba's shoulder. Face close to her brave girlfriend's, she closed her eyes.

"Just for a moment, okay?" she murmured gently.

Elphaba first nodded, then leaned into her. Tears rolled down Galinda's cheeks as she began to laugh quietly in between gulping down mucus and tears.

"Tell me," began Elphaba, "I can take the truth. Are they—"

"Not a tinge," Galinda assured her firmly, blinking away the salty drops clinging to her lashes.

Soon after that, she felt Elphaba shift and reposition herself before growing rigid. She was impressed that she wasn't trying to shake off her arm, but maybe her thoughts were elsewhere and barely registered that minor encumbrance anymore.

After all that effort that had been involved in delivering the head, Galinda was so startled by how swiftly the rest of the baby's tiny body emerged that she almost missed it. It was Elphaba who freed one hand to reach down and catch the child. She pressed the newborn to her abdomen and let herself sink sideways into the couch cushions, breaking away from Galinda.

Witnessing this new human's first moments in this life was nothing short of breathtaking. The baby was a wee, wrinkly thing and rather purple, but Galinda only saw the beauty of the scene. Of Elphaba nestled amid the pillows—exhausted, but unmistakably happy. And her child, clumsily but lovingly cradled in her arms.

She grabbed one of the extra bath towels that she'd brought down with her and carefully draped it over them, covering Elphaba's lap but making sure that baby's head stayed free. When Elphaba eventually looked up to make eye contact, she immediately darted forward to press a kiss to her lips.

"Have I ever told you that I love you?"

They both chuckled and took the time to simply breathe and come to grips with their changing realities. The baby had still not cried, but began to whimper and squirm. Galinda noticed Elphaba tense up again.

"It's okay," she cooed, hoping to exude a calmness she didn't feel. "You're alright. We'll figure this out. Tummy to tummy first? Ease into it?"

Elphaba looked at her, brows pinched, and nodded stiffly.

"Try and get comfy, Elphie," directed Galinda as she busied herself with the cushions—removing one here, adding one there—in an attempt to get her propped up just the right way. When she was more or less satisfied with the result, she sat down next to the sofa, patting Elphaba's shoulder and catching her eyes.

"May I?" she asked before reaching out to carefully pull back on Elphaba's shirt, full exposing her belly. Her hands were trembling slightly as she took hold of the incredibly fragile-looking child to move them up, flush against their mother's skin. Finally, she adjusted the towel to keep them both warm.

"Good enough for now?"

Smiling faintly, Elphaba bobbed her head.

Galinda looked them both over one more time, feeling her heart melt.

"What else? Anything else we need to do?"

"I could do with a sip of water," Elphaba admitted and Galinda clapped her hand against her forehead for not thinking of that earlier.

"Yes of course!"

Flashing her an apologetic look, she noticed her dry lips, so she made sure to fetch her balm first in order to prevent any burns from the drink that was, after all, supposed to revitalise, not torture.

"And now?" she asked, eagerly, anxiously once she'd taken the glass back from her.

"And now we wait until the midwife arrives."

She'd barely said the words when the doorbell rang. Despite being loath to leave either of them behind, Galinda jumped up to her feet and dashed towards the door. Sahfeeya on the other side was a truly welcome sight, although she had to say that they'd managed surprisingly well on their own so far.

"You missed the big show," she grinned, and the midwife slumped her shoulders.

"Apologies, but I came as soon as Vittolea called me up. She's with another girl who had to be rushed to emergency c-section."

"Oh, the poor soul," replied Galinda, considering for the briefest clock tick how wrong things could have gone for them, too. Pushing the unpleasant thought aside, she bade Sahfeeya to come in. "It's alright. Elphaba did an amazing job. They both look alright, considering the circumstances."

Sahfeeya took over from thereon. Galinda watched her examine the baby as well as Elphaba. After both were pronounced healthy and well, she prepared the cord, which Galinda was allowed to cut.

All that went by in such a rush and such a haze; none of it could possibly compare to the connectedness with he process that Galinda had felt even when she had hardly known how to assist her love while she'd worked her magic. Feeling somewhat left out, she barely registered the steps in between Sahfeeya taking away the little one to weigh and clean them, and helping Elphaba to her bed.

Only then, when mother and child were re-united and comfortably snuggled in between pillows and blankets, time slowed back to it's normal rate for Galinda. Kneeling beside the bed, her arms folded on the mattress and her head resting atop her hands, she couldn't stop grinning.

"You two are the most adorable thing I've ever seen."

"Oz, are you sappy!" scoffed Elphaba—almost back to her old self, Galinda was glad to discover.

"I'm filling in the forms now," announced Sahfeeya as she entered the room with her clipboard and a pen in hand. "Do you recall when exactly baby was born?"

The girls looked at each other with blank expressions, then broke out in laughter.

"I take that as a no."

"I don't know, maybe ten, twenty minutes before you arrived?"

Elphaba shrugged.

"Could just as well have been five or thirty, right?"

"Let's make it six o'clock then.

"How about the wee man's name?"

"Wait," Galinda looked back and forth between the baby's tiny head and the midwife. "We have a boy? Elphie?"

"I guess so."

"You are two darlings," Sahfeeya chortled. "Well, if you haven't thought of a name yet—"

"Liir," answered Elphaba quickly. "It's Liir."

"Where did you get that name from?" Galinda wondered out loud, not meaning to protests at all.

"From a history book," Elphaba replied vaguely, not exactly ready to explain herself.

Sahfeeya noted that down with approval.

"Good choice. Memorable and simple but still unique enough to stand out in school. Has Liir nursed yet?" she asked next.

Elphaba inhaled sharply.

"I can run to the pharmacy and grab some formula if you're more comfortable with that," Galinda offered quietly. They'd never properly settled that debate.

"No," Elphaba decided after a long moment of consideration. "I—I'll be fine."

"You really don't have to."

"I know," she sighed and looked down at her child.

Grasping the gist of the situation, Sahfeeya gave Elphaba a few pointers, then left her to it, stressing that all she needed to do was ask if she ever encountered any issues. She packed up her things after that, though she'd used only very few of them anyway.

"Well, congratulations to both of you," she beamed as Galinda walked her to the door. "For now, take good care of her, but there's really nothing in particular that you need to worry about. They are doing just great. I'll be back tomorrow then to check on everyone, but of course you can call me any time if you're worried or unsure about what to do."

By the time she made it back to Elphaba, Malky had joined her and Liir on the bed, curling up next to her knees.

"Big brother is watching," she quipped.

"With no regard for privacy," replied Elphaba who was still stuck in the middle of feeding.

"I can take him outside."

"Don't be ridiculous," the green girl laughed. "He's a cat. I was joking."

"Oh."

"But you could probably get ready for school."

Galinda blinked.

"You're kidding, right?"

"The big excitement is over. I'll have a nap soon and your education is important."

"You gave birth maybe an hour ago," protested Galinda. "I'm not going to just walk away and leave you behind!"

"I can manage."

"Perhaps you could, but I want to be here."

"What for?"

"Just to be close, just to be ready if there's anything to do."

"Just to annoy me?"

Galinda gasped at that, but Elphaba cackled.

"Only teasing. And I'm okay with you staying. But only for today."

Galinda grudgingly agreed that that would be reasonable enough.

"Hey," she said softly, "if you're really so intent on having a nap, you and baby should either move to the upstairs bedroom, or I should hold him."

They settled on the latter.

Galinda's heart beat wildly in her chest as she picked up the small bundle for the first time. Cradling him in her arms felt anything but natural, yet it still was the best feeling in the world. Slowly, carefully, she lowered herself down into the swivel chair opposite the bed. Gently swinging left and right, she hoped to lull the child to sleep.

Elphaba drifted off first. By the time Galinda glanced up, her eyes had already fluttered shut. The sight made Galinda vibrate with joy, pride and love.

"Thank you Elphie," she said in a hushed voice while pressing the baby a little closer to her heart. "Thank you so much. For everything."